How fans stream the summer on Spotify

Summer just wouldn’t be summer without a soundtrack, and Spotify is where fans go to find one that fits their vibe. In fact, there are more than 32 million user-generated “summer” playlists on the platform, and "summer" searches on Spotify increased by 19% from 2022 to 2023.¹

But who is streaming the summer moment on Spotify? And how? And when?

Below, we highlight listener behavior to help unpack that profile for you, and share our top tips for crafting a summer marketing campaign on Spotify that feels like part of the summer soundtrack on repeat.

What is “the summer moment” on Spotify?

Summer is different for everyone, but inevitably there are certain themes most people would associate with the moment. We do this through a combination of methods, including keyword-text matching, editorial assignment, and algorithmic audio analysis.²

Who’s streaming the summer moment on Spotify?

Globally, 70% of all Spotify searches containing the word “summer” through June-August are from 18-34 year-olds. So it may come as no surprise that it’s this age group who lead the way in streams of the summer moment during the same period.

When are fans streaming the summer moment?

Mic drop: summer on Spotify starts early, as people set their sights on the feel-good months ahead. When we looked at our 2023 data, we found that global searches containing “summer” increased by 45% from April to May, while June emerged as the peak month for summer searches overall.⁴

However, streams of the summer moment by Spotify Free users in the US peaked in July, with 36% of all streams compared to June (33%) and August (31%).⁵

So, brands hoping to engage fans on Spotify with a summer marketing campaign may want to get started sooner rather than later—and keep their campaigns running through the peak summer-streaming months for maximum impact potential.

How do fans stream during summer?

Spotify’s first-party data not only reveals when fans stream, but how they stream too. Take in-car streaming, for example: The average number of daily in-car streams by Spotify Free users in the US increased by 24% through June-August, compared to the three months prior.⁶ That spells R-O-A-D T-R-I-P—a great time to reach and engage listeners with an ad for a product or service that they might need. Say, a local hotel or coffeehouse chain.

Fans also stream Spotify using smart speakers—potentially when listening together in a social context, like a summer barbecue or full-blown house party. And summer isn’t always embraced outdoors—young audiences, in particular, spend more time streaming Spotify from game consoles in summer, perhaps as they battle against their college friends online.

Summer marketing ideas for brands

So, now you know who streams the summer on Spotify, and when and how they stream. But what’s a smart way to reach them with a message that channels that summer vibe—at the exact moment they’re channeling it themselves?

Spotify’s ads manager brings a range of creative tools and targeting options to advertisers that can help their voices be heard—and remembered.

Celebrate the summer in your creative

The first step to reaching your audience effectively—no matter the season—is to reflect on the different sights and sounds that will immerse them in the moment you want to create. With Spotify, you can create audio ads, video ads, or a combination of both—giving you plenty of creative freedom. Think crashing waves, cawing seabirds, and sun lotion being sprayed on a beach, or cans being popped open and fresh cuts sizzling on the barbecue… These are just a few of the summer moments you can bring to life with visuals or background noise in your creative.

With Spotify’s ads manager, you can upload existing creative to your campaign, or create an audio ad from scratch, using our free creative service. Just give us a script, choose a voice over and some free background music, and we’ll do the rest.

Target summer streamers by interest and context

Spotify’s ads manager gives advertisers the flexibility to target audiences based on whatever criteria most closely matches their profile—or target broadly to allow our algorithms to reach relevant fans across the platform.

A brand or agency keen on tapping the summer moment might want to narrow their scope to interests like In-Car Listening, Partying, or Gaming, for example—to align with the insights above. Or be heard in specific moments through contextual playlists, e.g. Cooking, Travel, Party, and Gaming, to match their product or service with whatever activity their audience is potentially engaged in.